


Spinning a Web

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [27]
Category: Saiyuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Androids, Emotional Manipulation, Friendship, M/M, Partial Mind Control, Past Relationship(s), Reminiscing, Science Fiction, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Oh, what a tangled web we weaveWhen first we practise to deceive!Gojyo gets in on the manipulation game.
Relationships: Cho Hakkai/Sha Gojyo
Series: Pretend to be Human [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1152416
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Spinning a Web

"I've done the maths problems. Can I go out now?"

" _I gave you that problem sheet only ten minutes ago, Master Goku. Are you sure you've shown all your calculations?_ "

"No. What's the point? I know I'm right."

" _That is really irrelevant. One should always be able to demonstrate one's method_."

"Pfft. Like anyone ever uses maths in real life anyway. It's as much use as remembering hour upon hour of sutras."

Gojyo watched Sanzo's turn a page in the paper as Goku's face went into a _Whoops_ expression.

"You've got a point there, Goku," Sanzo said, his eyes still on the paper. "But not about the maths. Give Hakkai your homework."

Goku handed over a page of scribbles to Hakkai, who took it with an air of being handed a used handkerchief.

" _One might ask how your writing has become worse. If, that is, you hadn't been observed writing at top speed while trying to eat and read the back of Master Sanzo's paper at the same time._ " He read down the page, making _tsk_ ing noises at Goku's bizarre methods of calculation where they were actually shown. Gojyo took the opportunity to rattle around with the bottles and packages of pills, and to hand a small empty cup to Goku.

" _Your. Vitamins._ "

"Thanks, Gojyo," Goku said, raising the cup to his mouth and following it with a large swig of tea to mime swallowing his pills.

" _Most of these are correct_ ," Hakkai said, sounding a little disappointed. " _But you simply did the work too quickly – there are jumps in logic. Please, Master Goku. Learn to be methodical._ "

"Where's the fun in that?"

" _Ahaha. If you want fun, we can read some poetry?_ "

"I'm going out!" Goku said quickly. "I need some exercise. Sanzo, you'll be well enough for us to travel again soon, right?"

"I'm just waiting for the next market day so I can sell you for gasoline," Sanzo said, turning to the local sports pages.

It was the sort of stupid human joke he'd used to make before they'd tried to make him settle down and be a good little monk. It had always made Goku laugh. Gojyo didn't see much funny about it, but then the law said he was property. Now Goku just grinned and grabbed up the remnants of breakfast and was gone. Sanzo put the paper down and looked after him, chin resting on one hand.

"I've heard they have a stimulant drink called _coffee_ in the west. For all the gods' sake, never let Goku try it."

" _No, sir,_ " Hakkai said. " _I'm not sure the world is ready for that._ "

Sanzo gave a snort of dry laughter and shook the paper out again. "Hakkai," he said. "Do we still have a stock of morphine and the other painkillers?"

Hakkai slid a glance at Gojyo. " _Yes, sir. Should I buy more?_ "

"Throw them all away."

Gojyo didn't think Sanzo or any of the other humans around would notice that Hakkai really was surprised.

" _I must respectfully suggest that might not be a fully thought out course of action, sir. What if wounds were to be inflicted far from a doctor's aid?_ "

Sanzo didn't say anything. Then he let out a breath.

"Lock them up," he said. "They are not to be dispensed unless there is a medical emergency. This is a direct order to you both." He paused. "Even if they are requested, they are not to be dispensed."

" _Yes, sir._ "

" _Yes. Sir._ "

"I'm going for a walk. Goku has the right idea. Exercise is what's needed," Sanzo said suddenly, tossing the paper on the floor for Hakkai to grab at. He stood and pulled his robes into slightly better order, heading for the door.

" _Sir. I'll. Accompany -_ "

"You will not. Make sure that the jeep is in good order and we actually can leave here. Nothing's going to happen in this one-horse town."

Sure, Gojyo thought. The townspeople were probably all monsters under the pleasant appearances. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest. He raised his eyebrows at Hakkai, who was smoothing the paper neatly as if it actually mattered.

" _The. Jeep's. O.K. Isn't. It? And. Most. Of. The. Supplies. Are. Still. Packed. Away?_ "

" _Yes,_ " Hakkai said, looking with pleasure at his nice, sharp folds. He placed the paper neatly back in the rack for the next guest who desperately wanted to read about goat racing or whatever they got up to in the area.

" _Then. We. Have. The. Morning. Off._ "

Hakkai smiled as if he were very, very proud of Gojyo.

" _That's the spirit! The inn's tourist brochure is very out-of-date, but it does say that there is an interesting shrine of historical import we could visit. I suppose it hasn't vanished._ "

Gojyo looked at him suspiciously.

" _Why. Would. You. Want. To?_ "

" _One can't help one's programming! I like things like that._ "

" _Well. Then. Let's. Order. A. Packed. Lunch. And. Have. An. Adventure._ "

Hakkai ushered him from the inn. " _You're making fun of me. What a day of surprises, Gojyo._ "

The shrine, when they found it on a hilltop behind the town, was not what Gojyo had been expecting, a somewhat off-centre whitewashed stupa painted with simple protective signs. Hakkai walked around it, looking at each side and at the prayer flag surrounding it before bowing respectfully. Gojyo supposed not everywhere could be a great monastery in Chang'an.

" _Maybe. Sanzo. Should. Come. Up. Here._ "

" _Maybe. He might gain merit and the strength to resist weakness and physical desires._ "

Huh. And whose drug-pushing fault was it that Sanzo had physical desires? Dammit, Gojyo couldn't believe he was being sympathetic to the bastard. Hakkai circumnavigated the shrine again.

" _Goku is very exuberant these days. I'm glad he's in better spirits._ "

" _Yeah. Me. Too._ " Gojyo looked away in case his guilt was too obvious. " _Hakkai. Look. An. Eagle._ "

" _Yes. No one is telling it what to do. It has the freedom and the beauty of the skies. Of course, it will die long before its maximum lifespan, probably of starvation, and will see most of its children dead before it. We should be glad we're spared such miseries._ "

" _No. Wonder. Goku. Doesn't. Want. To. Study. 'Look. Goku. At. The. Wonders. Of. Nature. And. Literature. Covering. Rot. And. Decay.'_ "

Hakkai shrugged. " _I phrase my lessons somewhat more elegantly than that, I would hope. But it's true. Everything dies; we're the only ones made to last. Maybe we last too long – who bought you, after all? Not our Sanzo._ "

" _Four. Sanzos. Back. This. Guy's. The. Biggest. Asshole._ "

" _And he bought me. But the monastery owns us – Sanzo and Goku will be dust and we'll still be patrolling their grounds and doing their accounts and saying_ Yes, sir _. Which is good and right, of course!_ " Hakkai laughed as if he hadn't a care in the world. " _Yes_ he said. " _Never ending. It's never ending. How good, to have purpose in one's life._ " He picked up a stone and threw it at a rock, looking at it impassively as it shattered.

" _People. Worry. Think. About. Goku's. Books._ "

" _What, an android rebellion? For Heaven's sake, who has the time or energy? That's just nonsense, you know that._ " Hakkai pointed down at the town. " _Look. They're so small, like ants. I'm sure one of Goku's villainous androids would give a speech about crushing them, or something equally melodramatic. I don't want to crush them._ " He smiled slyly. " _Think of the mess it would leave on one's shoe._ "

They were far from town, and no one could overhear. Hakkai didn't give a damn about his statements being recorded anyway, and neither did Gojyo, not any more, not out here. What as Sanzo going to do? Switch them off and travel without protection? He had come too far to turn back, they all had. Gojyo marshalled his thoughts. He'd been ordered around all his life. He'd been manipulated by Hakkai. He'd been treated like crap by Sanzo. He'd been loved and had that love used against him by Goku. Everyone said low-end models like himself couldn't learn; that they were just incapable of the kinds of miserable shit that humans and high-end androids liked to inflict on everyone within a five-kilometre radius.

Well, fuck that.

A year on the road had shown him one thing that Hakkai probably didn't want him to know. Hakkai. He _liked_ being the bad influence. He _wanted_ someone to look up to him and admire his cheek, his sheer fucking _gall_. Whenever he thought he'd gone too far, pissed Gojyo off too much, he'd walk his bullshit back.

Hakkai wouldn't be able to deal with not having a friend.

" _It's. As. Safe. Up. Here. As. It's. Possible. To. Be,_ " he said. " _You. Don't. think. Sanzo. Will. Review. Our. Internal. Recordings?_ "

Hakkai shook his head, still looking at the tiny town beneath them. That was good. He knew Gojyo worried about such things. It was natural to have asked that, and it got Gojyo used to talking without having to look him in the face from the start.

" _Hakkai? I. Worry. About. You. Sometimes. You. Seem. Sad._ "

" _I'm not sad! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said such silly things, I've upset you -_ "

" _I. Worry. Because. You're. My. Friend. I. Couldn't. Bear. You. Being. Unhappy._ "

Hakkai stopped talking. He looked – pleased. He reached out and squeezed Gojyo's arm. " _Thank you, Gojyo. You're a good friend._ "

" _The. Other. Security. Androids. Used. To. Make. Fun. Of. Me. For. Babysitting. Goku. The. Administrative. Androids. Made. Fun. Of. All. Of. Us. For. Being. Illiterate. Louts. Obsessed. With. The. Size. Of. Our. Combat. Modules. You. Never. Made. Me. Feel. Like. I. was. Less._ "

" _You are not illiterate_ ," Hakkai said firmly. " _Really, some androids._ "

" _Thank. You. For. Getting. Me. The. Time. To. Rest. And. For. Reassuring. Me. I'm. So. Glad. To. Think. You. Don't. Think. There's. Something. Wrong. With. Me. I'm. Not. Stupid. Not. Like. Some. People. Think. But. You're. Really. Clever. I. Trust. You. On. That._ "

Shit. Was that too much? Maybe not; Hakkai was still looking pleased.

" _But. We. Never. Finished. Our. Talk. I. Just. Need. To. Know. Just. For. Myself. Not. For. Anyone. Else. Hakkai – What. Did. You. Do? Why. Were. You. Being. Sold. Off. Like. That? And. How. Can. You. Remember. If. You. Were. Reprogrammed?_ "

Hakkai swayed back a little. Then his smile fixed firmly in place.

" _It doesn't matter. Not any more. I only had the smallest flashes anyway. Like being a tutor._ "

He might as well, Gojyo thought, have been carrying a sign saying _I am spouting utter bullshit_. All those hints and little digs? He refused to believe they led nowhere. He let his face fall as much as would be believable.

" _It's. O.K. You. Don't. Have. To. Tell. Me. I. Know. You're. My. Friend. I. Guess. I. Thought. You. Wanted. To. Tell. Me. Or. That. You. Trusted. Me. I. Didn't. Mean. To. Snoop._ "

" _No, no of course not_ ," Hakkai said, seeming still so taken aback that he didn't even point out that snooping was part of the basic programming for security androids.

OK, Gojyo thought. He hadn't really expected an immediate result anyway. Now to wait. First step: cut short their time out. He gave Hakkai another couple of minutes to wander around the shrine.

" _I. Guess. We. Should. Get. Back._ "

" _So soon? I suppose so. Unless you wanted to go higher? There's supposed to be an interesting cave -_ "

" _Maybe. We. Can. Bring. Goku. Up. To. It._ "

" _Ah – yes. Maybe._ "

They went back down and waited for Sanzo and Goku to reappear. Before Sanzo could give him something to do that would spoil his plan, Gojyo made eye contact with Goku out of both Sanzo and Hakkai's lines of sight, and made the hand sign that the kid had come up with years ago in the monastery for when he wanted to skip out on classes and go to play in the orchard. Goku's eyes widened slightly.

"I forgot to buy more of those cakes!" he yelled, and dashed out the door, Sanzo yelling after him to stop.

" _I'll. Get. Him,_ " Gojyo said, and ran after him.

The road was empty. The damn kid ran too fast these days. He started down towards the shops and heard a _Pssst_ from the side. Goku was plastered up against the side of a building, like he thought he was a spy. Gojyo joined him.

"So, what's up?"

" _Can. You. Do. Me. A. Favour? Just. Be. Sort. Of. Extra. Nice. To. Me. Today. But. Not. Over. The. Top. Talk. About. Old. Memories. And. Stuff. O.K.? Not. Right. Away. Start. In. A. While._ "

Goku frowned a little. "Sure, but why?"

" _Me. And. Hakkai. Had. A. Bit. Of. A. Fight. Maybe. He. Needs. To. See. He's. Not. My Only. Friend._ "

Goku looked so horrified that Gojyo immediately regretted his imaginative phrasing. That's all it was, he told himself firmly. Imaginative phrasing. Not a lie.

"No way! Gojyo, that's awful – you're such good friends!"

" _Hey_ ," Gojyo said, ruffling his hair. " _You're. A. Good. Kid. Goku. Don't. Worry. Android. Arguments. Ain't. Like. Human. Ones. They're. Over. Quick. I. Want. Hakkai. To. Be. My. Friend._ "

"He'd fight with you about your grammar," Goku said, still worried.

Gojyo obediently laughed then led him back to the inn.

Slowly, over the rest of the day, Goku began feeding him lines about the monastery. Did he remember the summer when all the ducks came in and quacked as the monks chanted? What was the name of the donkey? What about the really sturdy tree that had lower branches thick enough to bear the weight of an android?

" _You climbed a tree?_ " Hakkai said in astonishment.

" _Goku. Was. Up. There. The. Little. Monkey. Just. Climbed. On. To. Thinner. Branches._ "

"But I came back down and sat with you on your branch while you told me stories!"

It sounded idyllic. Gojyo had been shit terrified the whole time. He also hadn't been sure how he was going to get out of the tree, but that was best left in the golden-hued past. Finally even Sanzo got in on it when Goku had asked enough times for a _What was it like when you were my age_ story, and Sanzo waved his hand in the air and said something brief about the monastery never changing. Not fucking good enough.

" _Paper. Planes_ ," Gojyo said, and both Goku and Sanzo looked at him in surprise. " _Master. Koumyou. Used. To. Make. Paper. Planes. For. You._ "

"Huh. You watched that, did you?" Sanzo said, as Goku said,

"Was that how you learned to make the ones for me?"

"Nah. His ones actually flew." Sanzo looked down and for a moment actual human emotion crossed his face. Come on, Gojyo thought. And then, yes. The Koumyou stories started, and he could contribute, and Goku could be an appreciative audience, and Hakkai was well and truly on the outside. Gojyo made sure that he wasn't actually cold to Hakkai, he just turned down his friendliness an average of twenty-three per cent in favour of a more formal attitude. Like he was an android he'd only recently met. By the end of the day Hakkai was looking decidedly unsettled.

" _I've upset you,_ " he said, as they tidied away Sanzo and Goku's clothes.

" _No. Not. At. All. I'm. Fine. Thank. You. Could. You. Pass. Me. Goku's. Socks. Please?_ "

Silence.

" _He's really quite emotional towards you at the moment, don't you think?_ "

Denying noticing it would make Hakkai suspicious.

" _Yes. Over. The. Last. While. It's. A. Bit. Like,_ " he smiled in honest, sheer pleasure. " _It's. Silly. But. It's. A. Bit. Like. Getting. The. Child. Version. Of. Him. Back._ "

" _Yes,_ " Hakkai said quietly. " _I can see that that would be enjoyable_."

They were both quiet then, sitting on the floor. Hakkai seemed to be looking at nothing much. By the time Gojyo powered down, he hadn't moved for over an hour.

" _-ke up. Gojyo. Wake up._ "

Gojyo opened his eyes and felt his system come up to max. The small corner by Goku's room into which they'd tucked themselves was dark, no light coming in the window at the end of the corridor. He checked his internal chronometer. Four-thirty AM.

" _Hakkai. What's. Wrong?_ "

" _Nothing. Not really. Ahaha. I – well, I just thought you might like to check the jeep with me?_ "

" _It's. Fine._ "

" _Perhaps we should check. I'm not entirely sure that all of Goku's clothing was properly laundered in the last town. We could take a look, and make sure. And we could have a look at the functionality of the tent. I know you think it's a stubborn thing! Look, I have the credit card, and some cash. We could be at the bakery right when it opens, we could get Goku whatever you think he'd like best. Or whatever other supplies we need._ Please _, Gojyo._ "

" _Have. You. Been. Awake. All. Night?_ "

" _I didn't really feel the need to power down. Oh! If you wanted, we could go to any tourist thing they have, if Sanzo allows us. If you'd like?_ "

" _I. Don't. Know -_ "

" _Gojyo_ ," Hakkai said, with an edge of desperation, " _I'm not good at feeling alone. It's very bad for me. Please_."

Gojyo thought of him sitting staring into the dark all night, fretting. It made him feel guilty, and oddly satisfied. Only eighteen hours? He'd expected to have to string Hakkai out for days.

" _You're. Not. Alone. We're. Squashed. Into. This. Corner. Together._ "

Hakkai took his hand in a fierce grip. " _Please don't stop being my friend. I – Gojyo, I don't like what it's like when I don't have a friend._ "

" _We're. Friends. I. just. Thought. I. Liked. You. More. Than. You. Liked. Me._ "

" _No! No, no, no. I promise. What a relief. Thank you. I do like you, Gojyo, very much. And I need you. You're such a good person. Thank you_ "

They were squashed even closer now, Hakkai crowding close, one arm around Gojyo, his other hand holding tight onto Gojyo's hand. Gojyo put his free arm around him, and, remembering how pleasant it had been, stroked his hair.

" _Tell. Me. Why. You. Were. Sold. Tell. Me. How. Come. You. Remember._ "

" _I – well, I was a tutor_ ," Hakkai whispered, so quietly that no human would have picked up the sound. " _As you can see, I belonged to a family with more money than sense; I was a custom job. They didn't want their children exposed to an android teacher like the children of mere_ rich _people. I had to be perfect in my simulation of human appearance. Only my voice had a slight timbre to it to mark me out as something different and - well, you saw that I can mask that quite effectively. It's utterly ridiculous. I'm human body temperature to the touch. I have fingerprints. I have a_ navel _, I know you thought that was hilarious at first sight. I'm a complete vanity project._ "

" _I. Always. Thought. You. Were. The. Best. Looking. Android. In. The. Monastery,_ " Gojyo murmured.

" _Being a monster, so did I,_ " Hakkai sighed. " _Anyway, I shudder to think what I must have cost to construct, but my masters seemed pleased with the result. I tutored their children. I was good at it, very good. And I remained good, for years. They didn't really care much about the children, as far as I could see, but that wasn't my business. As long as the children were clean and cute, they fulfilled their function. But children grow up, as Goku demonstrates. And their eldest daughter grew up, and – one hates to be vain, Gojyo, but she had a very good-looking young man at her beck and call twenty four hours a day. She thought she was in love._ "

He rested his head on Gojyo's shoulder.

" _I must have thought I was in love too. The worst thing is – I really was such a vanity project, you know. All those unnecessary fripperies. I, ah. Well. Hmm. I'm – completely functional._ " He made an embarrassed sound. " _Completely. I was her teacher, Gojyo! Let alone her parents' android! It was extremely unethical._ "

Gojyo felt internal switches trip in sheer mortification. Some androids were programmed that way, he supposed, but not Hakkai. At least he would never have suspected it.

" _You. Are. Fucking. Kidding. Me._ "

" _I really did see it as a romance,_ " Hakkai said wistfully. " _I know that's wrong – and illegal of course, unless one has a licensed android of the correct specification – but she told me she loved me. I know you're not, erm, constructed the same way so I hope I'm not embarrassing you._ "

Not apart from his insides being about to melt down in sheer shame, Gojyo thought.

" _Nope_."

" _She was so beautiful. So pale, under her clothes, like the moon – I mean, I knew that already as I'd bathed her as an infant. But when she'd grown up, well. It was quite different. She would make such soft little noises when I brought her to climax. I still think of it sometimes, being inside her body, and kissing her nipples -_ "

" _I'm. Guessing. Her. Parents. Found. Out,_ " Gojyo said in horror, just to stop him talking. Perhaps if he reset his internal chronometer he could go back to before this conversation.

" _At the worst possible time. Her mother took a carving knife to me. I discovered a quite shocking facility to temporarily disobey and ran when ordered to stand still. Of course, when I calmed down I went and asked for punishment. I was sent for recycling. Recycling! I must have cost at least a million – I'm so sorry to be so incredibly vulgar – and they were willing to have me broken down. I almost accepted it, except that my masters beat me first and said I'd forced myself on their precious daughter. I didn't do that, Gojyo. I didn't. So when I was taken away I very persuasively quoted my best guess at my price and what I'd probably fetch on the black market. I went through several owners before I ended up where Sanzo found me. People would buy me, you see, but they just couldn’t get rid of the_ rogue android _designation. I got cheaper and cheaper. I probably would have been scrapped, only I called out to Sanzo and told him my qualifications. I'd heard him coming out of another booth, saying he didn't think their tutor androids were right for his needs._ "

Shit. Gojyo looked as closely as he could at Hakkai in the darkness.

" _Are. You. Telling. Me. They. Didn't. Reprogram. You?_ "

" _The first buyer did, to a certain extent, but he was a hack. When I asked permission to update my software, it overwrote all his bad programming. After that, everyone just noted that I had already been done. Well, Sanzo asked that I be programmed to fight, so that went in. It might have overwritten some memory files, but nothing important, I think._ "

It overwrote your fucking security and loyalty subroutines, Gojyo thought. Shit! Then he thought of Hakkai, terrified and running, absolute fear making him disregard orders to stop. Or Hakkai in the hands of black market owners. He tightened his arm about him.

" _I'm. Sorry. That. Happened. It's. An. Awful. Story._ "

" _Yes_ ," Hakkai said against his neck. " _But it's over, and I'm safe with you now_."

Gojyo thought that if he'd been a human, his skin might have been crawling. Sitting there in the dark he could feel quite clearly that Hakkai was smiling.


End file.
